Food handling apparatus



G. R. WOOD FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS July 23, 1946.

Filed April 12, '1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG..

INVENTOR. GEORGE -R. WOOD ATTORNEY G. R. WOOD FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS July 23, 1946.

Filed April 12, 1943 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE R. WOOD July 23, 1946.

G. R. WOOD 2,404,557

' FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1943 8 Shets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. GEORGE. R. WOOD ATTORNEYS July 23, 1946. G. R. WOOD 2,404,557

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS 7 Filed April 12,1943 s Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.

. INVENTOR. GEORGE R. WOOD July 23,1946. G WOOD I 2,404,557

- FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1943 a sh ets-sheet 5' =2 5 73 a i I I 5 I 1: 1

Lzr. f

FIG- I FIG. -III INVENTOR.

GEORGE R. WOOD July 23, 194 G. R. WOOD 2,

I FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 7 FIG. IX.

INVENTORQ sconce R. wooo FIG. SZHI July 23, 1946.

G R'. wooD FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS Filed April 12, 1945 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR'. GEORGE R wooo BY %%VTORNEY July 23,1946; G. R.IWOIOD 2,404,557

FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS F iled A5111 12,- 1943 s Sheets-Sheet s n I f' m FIG. 'XIIZ INVENTOR. GEO'RGE R. WOOD Patented July 23, 1946 2,404,557 7 FOOD HANDLING APPARATUS George R. Wood, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assigner to Toledo Scale Company, Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of. New Jersey Application April 12, 1943,:Serial No. 482,763

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to food handling apparatus of the type in which a commodity tobe sliced is reciprocated past an exposed portion of the edge of a rotary circular knife, being slid along a thickness gauge plate lying substantially in the plane of the edge of the. knife, so that a slice is severed from the commodity each time it passes the exposed portion of the. knife.

A basic problem which has faced slicing machine designers has'arisen from the fact that the commodities to be sliced on each machine are of many sizes and shapes, and means must be provid'ed for holding these variously sized and shaped commodities so that they can be supported while being carried past the cutting edge of the knife and can be moved toward the plane of the knife after each slice has been severed.

It is an object of this invention to provide commodity-feeding means for a slicing machine which is adapted to handle variously shaped commodities of many different sizes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a commodity-feeding device which is adapted to feed greasy or sticky commodities with a minimum of friction or adhesion between the commodity and the commodity-supporting memher.

A further object of this invention is to provide a commodity-feeding device-which is adapted to feed extremely large commodities through a distance greater than the distance through which the commodity-feeding device is moved and thus to enable the overall size of the slicing machine with which it is used'to be substantially smaller than would otherwise be possible.

More specific objects and advantages are appar ent from the description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred form of machine embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a view, in elevation, of a slicing machine incorporating commodity-feeding mechanism embodying the invention.

Fig. II is a view, in elevation, of the slicing machine shown in Fig. I but taken from the opposite side of the machine and shown with commodity-carrying and feeding devices removed.

Fig. III is a fragmentary plan view of the-slicing machine showing the commodity-carrying. and.

feeding devices.

Fig. IV is a front view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the slicing-machine. shown in Fig. I, taken from the right sideof Fig. I.

Fig. V is a. vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line V-V of Fig. II. I

Fig. VI is a fragmentary detailed view showing knife driving mechanism. 1 I

Fig. VII is a, fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line VI-I-VII of Fig. VIII is a plan View of mechanism for supporting and feeding commodities, the commodity contacting tray being broken away.

Fig. IX is a fragmentary detailed View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of other parts of the commodity-supporting and feeding means.

Fig. X is a fragmentary view, in elevation, taken substantially from, the position indicated by the line XX of Fig. IX. I

Fig. XI is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the commodity-carrying and feeding. means, taken from the right side of Fig. IV, certainparts being broken away.

Fig. XII isa vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line XII-Jill. of Fig. XI, and-- showing a portion of the commodity-feeding mechanism in three alternative positions: 7 Fig XIII is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the lineXIIL-XIII of Fig. XI. A

Fig. XIV is a fragmentary detailed view, taken substantially on the line XIVXIV of Fig. VIII. Fig. XV is a, fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, showing sharpening mechanism employed in the slicing machine'illustrated in Fig. I in its inactive position. A

trate the invention and are not intended to impose.

limitations upon the claims.

Erected above the rear left corner of a main base H3- is a motor base H, upon the upper end of which there is secured an electric motor I2 (Figs. I, VI and VII) which has a substantially horizontal drive shaft: [:35. 'A motor pulley lit-is securedon the end of the shaft I3 and is engaged by a driving belt I5 which. also engages the larger sheave of'a dual sheave pulley i6. journaled on a stubshaft H which. is threaded into a drive hous-v ing Is also. mounted above the base: [:0. Lubrication of the pulley I6 is provided by. means'of an oil cup l9 which is connected to an oil passage 1 mounted on a. knife shaft 23.

The shaft 23 is journaled by means of roller. bearings 24 in a; horizontally-bored boss 25 formed in a part of which extends through an aperture located at the 1 center of a circular knife 21 secured tothehub the drive housing I8.

The knife hub 22 has a shouldered section 26 22 by means of five knife mounting screws 28..

The motor l2 which rotates the knife 21'isvcon-fl trolled by a switch 29 (Fig. I) mounted 'on its] outermost end. V

The knife 21 is substantially dish shape'd', having a hollowed-out front face 30 and an am ne larly-shaped cutting edge 3|.

The knife 'i's 33 and a face plate 34. The guard sections 32 and 33 are substantially U-shaped in cross sectiOII BXtGHdiIIg around both sides of the annular 3 cutting edge 3| of the knife. A guard supporting stand 35 (Figs. I, V and VI) is erected ontop' ofthe drive housing l6 and has two substantially horizontal arms 36'and 31. At the end of each of the arms 36 and 31 there is formed a boss 38 through which extends a thumb screw 39. Each of the thumb screws 39 is threaded into a nut 40 which is welded on one of a pair of tabs 4| of the face plate 34. The face plate 34 is held in posi- 1 tion in the hollow face 30 of the knife 21 by means of the nuts 40 and screws 39, pins 42,

' which extend upwardly from the top of the base l0 and are engaged in holesfin a turned-over i flange 43 of the face plate 34, and a center point portion 33. a

'1 44 (Fig. V) on. the end of the knife shaft 23..

The rear portion 33 of the knife guard-is held in I place around the rear of the knife 21 by means 1 of the engagement of a pin 45, which extends upwardly from'the base l0 near one of the pins 42, with a hole in the foot of the guard'po'rtion 33 andby that one of the screws 39-which passes through the boss 38 of the arm 31 and also through an ear 46 on the upper .end of the guard The upper guard portion 32 is pivotally I mounted on the thumb screw 39; there being an ear 41 formed in its rear end through which the thumb screw 39 extends. The front end of the 1 loosening the thumb screws 39 and sliding them 1 out of the bosses 38 to disengage them from the ears 41 and 46 of the guard portions 32 and 33 V respectively. The guard portion 33 and center plate 34 maythen be disengaged from the pins and 42. I

The'thickness of slices severed from a commodityreciprocated past the exposed cutting 1 portion of the knife 21 is determined bythe posi- I tion of a gauge. plate 49 which lies in aplane parallel'to the plane of the .edge of the knife 21 and is adjustable up to, and away from, such planed The'gauge plate 49 has a concave edge 5|] shafts 63.

plate mounting frame 5|, which is in the form of a hollow plate, by means of four mounting screws '52 which pass through horizontally elongated holes 53 in the gauge plate mounting frame 5| and are screwed into four threaded sockets 54 welded on the rear face of the gauge plate 49.

The holes 53am elongated to permit adjustment of the gauge plate 49 withrespect tothe gauge plate mounting frame 5| andthus to locate the edge 50 of the gauge plate concentrically with the knife 21 and to permit it to be moved radially of 3 the V knife to compensate for decreases in the The .gauge plate' mounting frame 5| is removably diameter thereof caused by sharpening.

mounted on al aiir of vertical pins 55 which exten'd upwardly from a gauge plate bracket 56 .and enter a bored'web 51 and a pair of bored. bosses .58 formed on the hollow interior of the gauge plate mounting frame 5|, the continuous bored web 51 serving to guide the pins into their correct locations. r

The gauge plate mounting bracket 56 is secured, by-means of a .pair of bolts 59, to an upturned right edge of a slice-receiving platter 6!! which is located at the-rear of'the gauge plate 49 above the base Ill. The slice-receiving platter 60 is supported by means of four bored ears 6| which extend downwardly! through four transversely elongated'apertures- 62 in the upper surface of the base l6 and are mounted on a pair of horizontal parallel shafts 63. The shafts 63 are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the face of the gauge plate 49 and are each slidable longitudinally in a pair of bored cars 64 formed on the undersurface of the base l9 and extending downwardly into the hollow interior thereof.

Rack teeth 65, which are cut in face of each of the shafts 63, are engaged by one of a pair of pinions 66 cut in an indicator shaft 61 rotatably journaled transversely to the The indicatorshaft '61 extends exteriorly of the base |9 through anopening in the front wall thereof and has an indicator knob 68 secured'on its outermost end. A small coiled spring 69 surrounds the shaft 61, being compressed between the inside of the front wall of the base I0 and a washer 10' on the shaft 61 to furnish sufficient friction to hold the shaft 61 stationary unless'rotated by the knob 69.

. series of indicia 1| scribed on the conical periphery of the knob 68 cooperates with an index 12 to indicate therelative position of the gauge plate 7 2 of its travel to the left in Fig. IV, itcan be re which. is substantially concentric with the knife I new is located closelyadjacent thereto.

moved from the bracket 56 to facilitate its cleaning by sliding it off the pins 55.

Slices of commodity severed by the knife 21 are deflected onto the slice-receiving platter 60 by a formed defiectorplate 13 (Figs. I and IV) which is mounted on the forward side of the drive housing |8 and'motor I2. The deflector plate must be closely adjacent the rear'edge of the knife 21 so that slices of commodity; no matter how thin, will be fpeeled from the knife and deflected onto the platter 60. In addition it is desirable that the deflector plate be removable so that the rear surface of the knife may be thoroughly cleaned of grease and fat which collects thereon. The deflector plate is mounted by means of a rod 14 (Fig; V) which is studded in the left wall of thedrive housing .|8 substantially parallel to the upper sur-- 7 theknife shaft 23.. The rod 14' is, engaged in. a bore 15 which is located near the upper end of. the deflector plate I3. The deflector plate 13 is held'l'n position, audits. positionis adjusted with respect. to the. knife. 21 by means of; a shouldered pin l6 (Figs. V and VI)v which is mounted on a bracket I1, adiustably secured to the lower front wall. of the drive housing I8; The pin 1% is engageable with a hole. I8 bored through; the deflector plate I3 and: heldtherein by the engagement of. a small clip'lB. in agroove, 80 cut in the body of the pin 16. By adjusting the position of the. bracket TI and. pin 16-," the proximity of the edge of the'defiector plate; 1.3..to the rear face of the knife 21. can be adjusted, By disengaging the pin. 16 from.- the. hole 18,. the deflector plate 13 can be slid off the rod I4. and removed from the. machine to be cleaned and, in combination withthe removal of the guard portions 32 and 33, the. face2 plate 34. and the gauge plate. 49, to expose the; entire edge and front face and a large portion of the rear face of the knife 21 for cleaning.

Commodities to be sliced are carried past the exposed forward portion of the knife, 21 by means of a commodity tray 8| (Figs. IV and XI). The commodity tray 8| comprises a commodity tray carriage 82 which is mounted for reciprocation on. a line substantially parallel to the plane of the edge of the knife and of the gauge plate.

Two rail supporting brackets 83 (Fig. II) are secured on the, upper surfaces. of the base I at theright-side of the slicing machine. Two parallel rails 84 and 85, are mounted on the brackets 83 and extend substantially horizontally along the. base I0. The. commodity tray carriage 82 is mounted on the rails 84, and 35, being supported onthe rail 84 by a wheelbarrow roller 86 (Figs IV and XI) which is journaled on a horizontal axis in, a fork 81 extending downwardly from the commodity tray carriage B2 and which rolls on. the upper surface of the rail 84. The roller 881s located approximately beneath the center of gravity of the commodity tray 8| so that most of the weight of the tray and the commodity carried thereby is supported by such roller.

A pin 88. extends between the legs of the fork 8.! parallel to the axisof the roller 86 but beneath the rail 84 to prevent the commodity tray from being lifted off the rail 84. The commodity tray carriage 82 is guided by means of a pair of sleeves 89' which are formed on the underside of the carriage 8 2- and slidingly engaged around the rail 05.. The sleeves 89- and rail 85 are spaced horizontally a substantial distance from the rail 84 so that very little of the load on, the carriage is supported by the rail 85 and. a wide base of support for guiding the carriage isafforded. The rail 85 is; lubricated from an oil reservoir 90 (Fig. XI) which is formed in the hollow interior of that portion of the carriage 82 forming one of the sleeves. 89.

.The. commodity tray carriage is reciprocated by means of a handle 9| which is mounted on the forward end of a handle bracket-92 extending upwardly and forwardly fromthe commodity tray carriage. 8 2. A thumb guard 93 is integrally cast with the handle bracket 92 and affords protection for the operators thumb when the carriage is moved entirely past the exposed. edge of the knife. 21.

94 with either one of a pair of stops 95 (Fig. II), one of which is a portion of each of the supporting brackets 83. The. bumper 04 comprises a The limits of reciprocation of the carriage 82. are established by the engagement of a bumper through which the rod I.I,0 extends.

tube 96.- which, is mounted parallel to therai-ls- 84 and in a. pair of bored. ears 9.1 which xtend. downwardly from the commodity tray carriage l between the fork 8.1 and sleeves 8.9.; The 7 tube 916 is longitudinally slidable in the ears; 91 I and, is" held, in, its central position by means of a.

of its path, one of the cushions 9.9; strikes one.-

ofthe stops 9.5; and that one, ofthe. springs 98 located at the end, of therod which has: struck the; stop is compressed to ease the abrup shock. of engagement, andv upon expansion. to

Three substantially parallel and horizontalrails I05, I02 and I03 are formed. on-the upper spiderlike. surface of the commodity tray carriage I12 and extend'transversely across the carriage. The rails I OI I02 and I03 serve as tracks for a, roller I04, a. pair of rollers I05 and. a'pair' of rollers I06 respectively which are journaled in a commodity clamp frame I01 (Figs. VIII, IX and XI). rail I02 is in the form of a U shaped channel member open at the top, and the rails- IM and I03 are supplied with fiat retainers I08 which form one sideof U shaped channel members, open atthe side and are removable to permit the re.- moval ofthe frame I01. The two rollers I06.are journaled on horizontal axes andprevent. rota.- tion of the frame In! on a horizontal line suh stantially parallel to the plane of the knife and gauge. plate. The two rollers I05 are journaled on vertical axes and prevent rotation of, the frame III'Iv on a vertical line substantially parallel tothe knife and gauge plate. Theroller I04 is jour-- The commodity clamp frame IN is urged tothe left by the bias of a coil spring. I09 which surrounds a. rod I I0 mounted in the gauge plate carriage 82. substantially parallel to the rails IOI-, I02 and i 03 and which. abuts against a sidewall I I I at the outerside of the carriage 02' and a collar IIZ secured to'the underside of the frame I01 The frame. III'I can however be locked at the right side of the carriage 82 by means of the engagement of: a latch H3 (Fig. IX) with a pin H4 extending horizontally from the back of the carriage 82. The latch H3. is swivelable on a pin II5 (Fig. XI) which is, studded into a portion of the frame 50! and is releasable by means of a handle H6 secured to the latch H3. and journaled on the pin II5. The limit. of travel of the frame. I01 t0. the left is established by a set screw I I I which is engaged by a portion of an arm I I8 of the frame is? when the frame is moved to the left.

The arm I I8 of the frame I01 extends upwardly to the rear of the frame. above the rear edge off. a trough-shapedv commodity-carrying plate I I9 (shown in cross section in Fig. XI and partly broken away in Fig. VIII). The plate II9 has a long fiat face I20 which extends upwardly at a slightangle to the horizontal, toward the rearof the carriage 82 onthe upper surface of The Y which the plate I I9 is mounted, and a short face I2 I which extends upwardly substantially at right angles to the face I20 andis located at the front of the carriage 82 immediately back of the handle bracket 92. The plate I I9 is mounted on the carriage 82-by means of a plurality of angular clips I22 (Figs. VIII and XIV) which have'elongated apertures I23 in their horizontal arms and bolts I24 which extend downwardly through the plate H9 and the apertures I23. The vertical arms -of the clips I 22 have forked ends I25 betweenthe bifurcations of which extend bolts 1 I 26 inserted through holes in the side walls of the carriage 82. The plate 'l I9 supports the various commodities which are to be sliced on the machine, and, in orderto prevent their sagging betweenthe'edg'e of the plate I I9 and the gauge plate,the left edges of the faces I20 and I2I of the plate II9 extend closely adjacent the plane of theedgeof the knife 21. The apertures I23 in the clips I22 are elongated to permit adjust each of its faces and, being swivelably mounted ment of the position of the plate I I9 with respect I to such plane.

On the upper end of the arm II8 of the commodity clamp frame I01 is a counterbored horizontal boss I21 through which extends a shouldered shaft I28 which also extends through a hole in an arm I29 andis threaded into an arm I30 of'the bifurcated rear end of a clamp arm I3I. A small spring I32 surrounds the shouldered shaft -I 28 and is slightly compressed between the shoul- .der on such shaft and the bottom of the counterbore in the boss I21 to furnish friction to hold theclamp arm I 3| in the position shown in Fig. XI whenit is lifted out of the commodity tray. A shoulder I33 (Fig.2!) on the boss I21- is engaged by a corner I34 on the arm I 3I between th'e bifurcations thereof to limit the up ward swing of the clamp I3I. A substantially C shaped stop I35 is formed on the side of the arm I30 and has a fiat end I36 (Fig. X) which, when the frame I01 is moved to the left, slides behin'dan upwardly extending stop I31 secured on the rearof the carriage 82 to prevent the clamp arm I 3| from being swung upwardly when a clamp I38 (Fig. XI) carried thereby is adjacent the plane of the gauge plate and the knife and would, if swung upwardly, damage the knife guard and other mechanism surrounding the'knife.

The clamp I38 comprises a flat plate I39 to a substantially U shaped pronged member I45 is, riveted to a horizontally-turned flange I40 of the plate I39. A pair of buttons I41 are riveted one ateachend of the member I45 extending downwardly below the ends of the prongs thereon toslide along the surface of the face I to protect the face from injury by the prongs on the member I45 when the clamp I38 is swung downwardly into commodity pushing position; The clamp I38 may be dropped on flat commodities, such as bacon, to clamp them down on the face I 20 and, by engagement with the pronged member I.45 therewith, to slide them toward the gauge,

plate. The face of the plate I39 is placed behind commoditieasuchas meat loaves, etc., to push on the 'pin I49, may be placed in any one of the three positions shown" in Figs. III and XII to handle commodities in the following ways; 7 v 1 Position Ar -When in the position shown in solid lines it serves as an extension for-the platej l I9 to support the ends of long commodities, such as slabs of bacon, which would otherwise "sag down over the end of the plate H9, thus creating friction rendering the feeding of the commodity more difficult. Also in "this position the prongs I53, which extend upwardly, engage the undersurface of the commodity being handled and assist the prongs on themember I45 of the commodity clamp I38 to feed the commodity toward the gauge plate,

Position B.-When in the second horizontal position the end plate I48 cooperates with the clamp I38 to engage a flat commodity on both its upper and lower surfaces and also furnishes an easy-ride attachment to break the suction between the undersurfaces of greasy commodities and the face I20 of th plate H9, as thecommodities are moved toward the gauge plate. 7

Position C.'In verticalposition (in'which it is held by the engagement of its edge with a hinged latch I54 mounted on the bracket I5!) the end plate I48 serves as an auxiliary pusher for feeding commodities which are too lon to be inserted in front of the plate I39 of the clamp I38. For example, a long meat loaf may be placed in'the tray and the end plate I 48 put in its C posi tion with the clamp I38 moved out of the tray (as shown in Fig. XI). When the latch I I3 is re-" leased and the clam frame I01 moved toward the gauge plate, the end plate feeds the commodity toward the gauge plate until the arm I I8 of the frame I01 hits the stop screw II'I. At this point the end plate has reached a position slightly to the left of the position in which the plate I39 is shown in Fig. IV. The commodity clamp frame I01, end plate I48 and clamp I38 are then moved I we;

. ately adjacent to the right and the clamp I38 swung downwardly behind the end of the commodity to continue feeding it toward the gauge plate as slices are severed therefrom until the frame I01 again strikes the stop screw I I1 at which time the plate I39 of the commodity clamp has reached the edge of thecommodity-supporting plate II9 immedithe plane of the edge of the knife 21.

Because the edge of the commodity-supporting plate I I9 must be so closely adjacent the plane of the knife, and because the commodity tray must be moved entirely ast the cutting edge of the knife in order completely to sever slices of commodities, provision must be made for the rear end of the face I20 of the commodity-carrying plate II9 to:

clear the rear guard portion 33. 'For that reason the rear guard portion has a cutout section I55. and the end of the commodity tray is moved through the space thereby afforded. However since cutting out this portion of the guard exposes a segment of the edge of the knife 21, an

arcuate edge guard I56 is mounted on the guard portion 33 with itsinneriiiost curved edge closely adjacent the edge of the knife 21 midis adjustable radially oi the knife to compensate for decreases in the diameter thereof due t'o'shaipening v The rotary knife '21 is sharpened by means of a sharpening attachment I51 which is movable from its inactive position shown in Fig. XV to its active position shown Fig; XVI when the upper guard ortion 324s thrown back out or the Way asshown in Fig. XVII. In order to 'mo've'this upper guard portion into the position shown in Fig XVI, the knurled screws 39 must be loosened to free the fro'nt en of the guard portion 32 from that one of the screws 3.9 in the arm 36 and allow it to be pivoted on the other of the screws 39.

shar enin attachment I51 is mounted on the uppeiiiiost end of a vertically slid'able post I58 'which is located in a bore I59-in the enter of the bracket 35 onth'e upper end or the drive housing I8. Two vertical's'lots I60 are cut in the walls of the bracket 35, and a pin I$I is engageable in one or the other of such 'slots' depehding upon whether the shar ening device is in active or in inactive position. The vertical movement of the sharpening device is limited by a set screw I62 threaded into the lower end of the post I58 and by a washer I63 surrounding the screw I62. A set screw I64, threaded horizontally through the bracket 35, is engageable with either of two flats I65 cut on the sides of the post I58 to lock the sharpening device in its active or inactive position.

To move the sharpening device from its inactive position as shown in Fig. XV to its active position as shown in Fig. XVI the following steps are taken: The set screw I64 is loosened and the sharpening device is pulled upwardly until the washer I63 engages the underside of the bracket 35, at which time the pin I5I is free of that one of the slots I60 in which it was inserted. The sharpening device is then swiveled horizontally until the pin IBI engages the other one of the slots I69 and then the sharpening device is lowered until the pin I62 engages a stop I66 in the interior of the drive housing I8.

The sharpening device comprises a pair of invented substantially U shaped brackets I61 and I68 in the arms of each of which there is journaled a shaft I69 or I respectively. The shaft I69 passes through the two arms of the frame I61 and carries on one end a finishing wheel I1I which is movable into contact with the flat edge of the knife 21 '(when the device is in active position) by a lever I12 hinged to the bracket I61 and extending upwardly through an opening in a cover I13 located over the sharpening device.

The lever I12 has a hole I14 through which the shaft I69 extends. The shaft I69 bears against a washer and ball bearing I15 which in turn compress a spring I16 against a second washer and ball bearing I11 when the lever I12 is moved to bring the finishing wheel into contact with the knife. A grinding wheel I18 is somewhat similarly mounted on the shaft I10 and is actuated by a lever I19 which is hinged in the bracket I63 and extends upwardly out of the cover I13. The knife thus may be sharpened by squeezing the two levers I12 and I19 toward each other, which moves the two wheels toward the knife from opposite sides thereof. When the knife has been sharpened, the sharpening device is swung into inactive position, removing the wheels from above the edge of the knife so that .10 r they 'will not be smeared by grease orrat. thrown therefrom and the upper guard portion 32 is swu'ngba'ck into position to guard theedge 'of the knife. 1

The embodiment of the invention that has been disclosed may be modified to meet various-re-' one end on said frame, a pusher plate mounted on the other end of said him; said pusher plate having commodity engaging members in at least one of its faces and in at least one orits edges, and a plate overlyingsaid tray and hinged on said frame near that end or said frame farthest removed from the plane of the edge or said knife, the last mentioned plate having commodity engaging projections on. its faceshand being movable. to at least two "different position'sy'a first position being. with its face in a plane substantially. parallel to th'elfa'ce. of the first ih'entioned plate and to the p'laneof theedge of said knife, a second position being substantially horizontal and closely overlying said tray.

2. Commodity feeding means for a slicing machine having a commodity tray reciprocable past an exposed cutting edge of a rotary circular knife comprising a frame movable along said tray and generally perpendicular to the path of movement of said tray, an arm pivotally mounted at one end on said frame, a pusher plate mounted on the other end of said arm, said pusher plate having commodity engaging members in at least one of its faces and in at least one of its edges, and a plate hinged to said frame along a line parallel to the plane of said knife at a point nearthat end of said frame farthest removed from the plane of the cutting edge of said knife and adapted to be positioned horizontally in either of two positions, said plate in one position closely overlying said tray and adapted to support a commodity being fed by said commodity engaging member from said tray and in the other position extending beyond the end of said tray for supporting the end of a long commodity being fed by said commodity engaging member.

3. Commodity feeding means for a slicing machine having a commodity tray reciprocable past an exposed cutting edge of a rotary circular knife comprising a frame movable along said tray perpendicularly to the path of movement of said tray, an arm pivotally mounted at one end on said frame, a pusher plate mounted on the other end of said arm, said pusher plate having commodity engaging members in at least one of its faces and in at least one of its edges, and a plate hinged to said frame along a line generally parallel to the plane of said knife at a point near that end of said frame farthest removed from the plane of the cutting edge of said knife and adapted to be positioned in any one of three positions, said plate in oneposition horizontally overlying said tray and adapted to support a commodity being fed by said commodity engaging member and in a second position extending horizontally beyond the end of said tray for supporting the end of a commodity being fed and in a third position being vertical with its face substantially parallel to the face of said commodity engaging I member for feeding a commodity toward said V knife 'untilrthe rear end of such commodity is moved to a position where said commodity engaging member can be placed ther'ebehindfor feeding the remaining portion of such commodity toward-said knife. V

4; Commodity feeding means for a slicing machine having a commodity tray reciprocable past I an exposed cutting edge of a rotary circular knife f comprising a frame movable across said tray along a line perpendicular to the path of said tray, an arm'pivotally mounted on said frame, afirst commodity engaging member carried on said arm, a

flat commodity engaging niember hinged to said frame along a line closely overlying said tray and parallelto the plane of the knife, said second member being movable to various positions including a generally horizontal position parallel to .and overlying said tray and an upright position parallel to the plane of said knife. 5. Commodity feeding means for a slicing machine having a commodity tray reciprocable past an exposed cutting edge of a rotary circular knife comprising a frame movable along said tray and perpendicularly to its path of movement, an arm pivotally mounted on said frame, a first commodity engaging member carried on said arm, a

fiat commodity engaging member hinged to said frame alonga line overlying said tray and generally parallel to the plane of the knife, said second member being movable to various positions including a first horizontal position parallel to said tray and a second upright position perpendicular tosaid tray, said first and second commodity engaging members cooperating to clamp and feed a commodity when said second member occupies its first position and to successively feed a long commodity when said second member occupies its second position. r

6. In a slicing machine having a commodity .tray mountedfor reciprocation past an exposed cutting edge of a rotary circular knife, in combination, a frame movable along said tray perpendicularly to the path of movement of said tray, a pusher plate mounted from said frame and movable with said frame to a position closely adjacent said knife, said pusher plate also being 

